U.S. patent number 5,986,573 [Application Number 08/746,910] was granted by the patent office on 1999-11-16 for method and apparatus for metering building structures.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Water Savers, Inc.. Invention is credited to Mark Terrance Franklin, John Elwood McGregor, III.
United States Patent |
5,986,573 |
Franklin , et al. |
November 16, 1999 |
Method and apparatus for metering building structures
Abstract
A method and apparatus for metering building structures having a
plurality of service outlets each having control valves, includes
the installing of meters within a given distance from each one of
the valves. A transmission system is coupled electrically to each
one of the meters for sending meter readings periodically to a
remotely located equipment.
Inventors: |
Franklin; Mark Terrance (San
Diego, CA), McGregor, III; John Elwood (Encinitas, CA) |
Assignee: |
Water Savers, Inc. (San Diego,
CA)
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Family
ID: |
27504813 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/746,910 |
Filed: |
November 19, 1996 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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751334 |
Nov 18, 1996 |
5892158 |
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633537 |
Apr 17, 1996 |
5764158 |
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560161 |
Nov 20, 1995 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/870.02;
137/552; 340/606; 340/870.11; 705/412; 73/195 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01F
15/005 (20130101); G01F 15/063 (20130101); G01F
1/05 (20130101); G06Q 50/06 (20130101); G01F
15/0755 (20130101); Y10T 137/8175 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
G01F
1/20 (20060101); G01F 1/34 (20060101); G01F
1/46 (20060101); G01F 1/075 (20060101); G01F
15/00 (20060101); G01F 15/075 (20060101); G01F
15/06 (20060101); G01F 1/05 (20060101); G01F
1/28 (20060101); G08B 023/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;340/606,870.02,870.03,870.11 ;73/195 ;137/552,555,624.11,624.12
;705/412,413 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Horabik; Michael
Assistant Examiner: Edwards, Jr.; Timothy
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Higgs, Fletcher&Mack LLP
Kleinke; Bernard L.
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part patent application of
U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 08/751,334, filed Nov. 18, 1996, now
U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,158 and entitled "METHOD FOR INSTALLING A FLOW
METER SYSTEM AND FLOW METER APPARATUS THEREFOR", which is a
continuation-in-part patent application of U.S. Pat. application
Ser. No. 08/633,537, filed Apr. 17, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No.
5,764,158 and entitled "METER READING DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM AND
METHOD OF USING SAME", which is a continuation-in-part patent
application of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 08/560,161, filed
Nov. 20, 1995, now abandoned, and entitled "FLOW METER AND METHOD
OF USING SAME." The foregoing patent applications are each
incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth herein.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of metering fluid consumption flow in a building
structure having a plurality of units, having a plurality of
discharge service outlets for dispensing fluids therefrom, the
method comprising:
identifying each of the service outlets to be metered in the
building structure;
using an individual control valve for each service/outlet;
using a plurality of meters associated individually with said
service outlets all disposed within a single unit of said building
each meter constructed to monitor the fluid flow from individual
ones of the service outlets to be metered so that the fluid
discharge consumption at each service outlet is measured;
installing the provided single meter within a given distance from
one of the valves for the discharge service outlet to be metered so
that the fluid being discharged from its the service outlet is
indicated by a meter reading, the meter reading being indicative of
the fluid consumed at the service outlet;
electronically sending meter readings indicative of the fluid
consumed at each metered discharge service outlet periodically to a
remote location; and
determining a total consumption of fluid for each unit by
accumulating electronically the meter readings received from the
plurality of service outlets being metered within said unit of the
building structure, responsive to receiving the meter readings
remotely therefrom.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the meters are each
installed upstream of their valves, and wherein said given distance
is up to one foot upstream from a given valve.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the meters are each
installed adjacent to their valves.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the meters are each
installed downstream of their valves, and said distance is equal to
the length of the flow between individual valves and their
outlets.
5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the meters are each
installed adjacent to their valves.
6. A method according to claim 4, wherein the meters are each
installed individually at their outlets.
7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the meters are each
installed individually respectively intermediate the valves and
their outlets controlled thereby.
8. An apparatus for metering a structural unit of a building, the
structural unit having a fluid supply pipe providing a plurality of
discharge service outlets within the unit, each service outlet
having a single individual control valve therefor, comprising:
a group of meters associated individually with said service outlets
all disposed within the single unit of the building, each single
meter constructed to monitor fluid flowing from a corresponding
single discharge service outlet and to provide a reading indicative
of the fluid discharged from its individual service outlet;
means for installing the meters within the unit wherein only a
single meter is installed within a given distance from one of the
valves so that the meter provides the meter reading indicative of
the fluid discharged from its service outlet;
means for sending meter readings indicative of fluid consumed at
each metered service outlet remotely therefrom; and
means for determining a total consumption of fluid for the unit by
accumulating the meter readings from the plurality of service
outlets within the unit responsive to receiving the meter readings
remotely.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the meters are each
installed upstream of their valves, and wherein said given distance
is up to one foot upstream from a given value.
10. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the meters are each
installed adjacent to their valves.
11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the meters are each
installed downstream of their valves, and said distance is equal to
the length of the flow between individual valves and their
outlets.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the meters are each
installed adjacent to their valves.
13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the meter is
installed at the outlet.
14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the meters are each
installed individually respectively intermediate the valves and
their outlets controlled thereby.
15. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the meter is
installed upstream of the valve at a common supply line for a
plurality of units within the building structure, further including
another meter being installed upstream of the first-mentioned meter
at the common supply line;
means for determining the difference between the readings of the
two meters to determine the quantity of fluid flowing through the
first-mentioned meter.
16. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the electrical transmission
means comprise wireless transmission.
17. A method for determining the quantity of utility fluid
discharge consumption for each of a plurality of structural units
where each structural unit is within a single building, and a fluid
supply line in the building distributes the fluid to more than one
structural unit, each structural unit having a plurality of service
discharge outlets, comprising:
identifying the discharge service outlets to be monitored in each
structural unit, each discharge service outlet providing an outlet
for consuming an amount of utility fluid;
installing a plurality of meters associated individually with said
service outlets all disposed within a single unit of said building,
each meter being constructed and installed to monitor the fluid
discharged from its single service outlet;
generating service outlet meter readings, each meter reading being
indicative of the quantity of fluid discharged from its single
service outlet;
sending the meter readings indicative of fluid discharged from each
metered service outlet therefrom; and
determining a consumption of discharged fluid for the plurality of
service outlets within said unit being monitored responsive to
receiving the meter readings remotely.
18. A method according to claim 17 further including:
metering each service outlet to monitor the fluid being discharged
from each service outlet;
generating a signal indicative of the quantity of fluid being
discharged from each service outlet electronically;
sending the signals electronically to remote equipment;
determining the quantity of fluid discharged from each metered
service outlet; and
prorating a utility cost to the structural units in proportion to
the quantity of fluid discharged from metered service outlets
allocated to each unit.
19. The system according to claim 18 where the fluid is gas.
20. The system according to claim 18 where the fluid is water.
21. A system for determining fluid discharge where a supply pipe is
installed within a building unit and a plurality of stub out pipes
extend from the supply pipe within the building and including a
plurality of discharge service outlets each being individually
associated with individual ones of the stub out pipes, each stub
out pipe supplying the fluid to its discharge service outlet,
comprising:
a group of meters associated individually with said service outlets
all disposed within a single building unit, where each meter is
constructed for measuring a fluid flow through a stub out pipe and
discharged from an individual discharge service outlet;
means for coupling a single one of the meters to each of the stub
out pipes so that each of the meters measures the fluid discharge
through each stub out pipe;
means for generating a signal indicative of the measured fluid
discharge;
remote equipment responsive to at least one generated signal for
determining the utility fluid discharge consumption for the
plurality of service outlets within said unit; and
means for sending electronically the generated signal from the
meter to the remote equipment.
22. A system to determine water discharge consumption in a
building, the building having a water supply pipe with a sink feed
pipe providing water to a sink and a toilet feed pipe providing
water to a toilet, comprising:
a sink meter coupled to the sink feed pipe for determining the
quantity of water discharged into the sink and providing a sink
flow signal indicative of the quantity of water discharged into the
sink:
a toilet meter coupled to the toilet feed pipe for determining the
quantity of water discharged into the toilet and providing a toilet
flow signal indicative of the quantity of water discharged into the
toilet;
a processor receiving the sink flow signal and the toilet flow
signal and generating a signal indicative of the water consumption
of the sink and toilet; and
means for sending electronically the flow signals from the meters
to the remote processor.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates in general to a method and apparatus
for metering building structures, and it more particularly relates
to the metering of individual building structure units, such as
apartment units, for utility consumption by the residents or other
users.
BACKGROUND ART
In the past, large building structures, such as apartment buildings
and condominium buildings have been metered for utility
consumption, such as water usage, by metering the main service
line, such as the main water line for the entire building
structure. In this manner, the utility company has billed the
owners for the utility usage as opposed to each individual unit
resident or owner.
In the case of a condominium building structure, where each unit is
owned separately, the utility company typically has submitted its
billing statement to the condominium association of owners, which
essentially has assessed each unit owner equally. In some
condominium building structures, special supply lines, such as
individual unit water supply lines, are installed initially to
enable individual meters to be employed for each condominium unit
separately. In this manner, billing statements have been submitted
to each individual unit owner so that the unit owners are able to
pay for their prorated portion of the utility consumption. In this
manner, a more equitable payment system is possible.
However, in the case of other types of building structures, such as
apartment buildings and commercial buildings, it was not possible
to meter individual units in a convenient and reliable manner. For
example, in the case of water consumption, there have been no
single service lines provided for each unit. Instead, each unit has
had a series of pairs of hot and cold water lines for different
rooms, such as bathrooms and kitchens, shared in common with other
units. This is particularly true where there are several stories to
the buildings. In this manner, a whole group of pairs of hot and
cold water supply pipes or lines extend to supply vertically
aligned units such as an apartment unit. Thus, each unit shares
many different hot and cold water supply pipes with other units in
the same building structure. Thus, such a building structure is not
designed for individually metering units. In this regard, due to
the large number of commonly shared supply lines for each unit, it
has not been economically feasible, nor convenient, to meter
individual units.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to have a new and improved
method and apparatus for metering building structures, where
individual units can be metered to enable the residents or users of
each unit to be billed a prorated share of their individual utility
usage. Such a new and improved metering method and apparatus should
be relatively inexpensive to install and to read such meters. Also,
such methods and apparatus should be useful for both existing and
new building structures, without the requirement for special
plumbing or customized building requirements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the principal object of the present invention is to
provide a new and improved method and apparatus for metering
building structures, wherein each unit within the building
structure can be metered individually for the prorated share of
utility usage in a convenient manner, without customized or special
building supply line requirements.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a new
and improved metering method and apparatus, which is both
relatively inexpensive to install and to use thereafter.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a new
and improved metering method and apparatus for both new and
existing building structures, where existing structures can be
readily retrofitted.
Briefly, the above and further objects of the present invention are
realized by providing a metering method and apparatus which can
enable individual units to be economically and conveniently metered
for utility consumption purposes.
A method and apparatus for metering building structures having a
plurality of service outlets each having control valves, includes
the installing of meters within a given distance from each one of
the valves. A transmission system is coupled electrically to each
one of the meters for sending meter readings periodically to a
remotely located equipment.
Thus, the novel method and apparatus of the present invention
enables the metering of both new and existing building structures
in a low cost and convenient manner. In this regard, by providing
the low-cost meters constructed in accordance with the present
invention and installing them in accordance with the inventive
method, the installation cost is relatively inexpensive, even
though a group of meters may be required for each individual unit
of a building structure. Similarly, due to the transmission
configuration, the installation cost is greatly reduced or
minimized, and the follow-on reading of the meters periodically is
greatly facilitated, since the meters can be read without human
intervention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The above mentioned and other objects and features of this
invention and the manner of attaining them will become apparent,
and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to
the following description of the embodiment of the invention in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a meter arrangement, which is
constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevation view of another meter arrangement, which is
also constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an elevation view of a further meter arrangement, which
is also constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of another meter arrangement, which is
also constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is an elevation view of another meter arrangement, which is
also constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a further meter arrangement, which
is also constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is an elevation view of another meter arrangement, which is
also constructed and installed in accordance with the method and
apparatus of the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1
thereof, there is shown a meter arrangement 10, which is
constructed and installed in accordance with the present invention.
The arrangement 10 is shown and described as a bathroom sink meter
arrangement, and is coupled between a water supply pipe 12 behind a
building structure wall 16 of a unit (not shown) of a building
structure generally indicated at 17, and a fixture or outlet, such
as bathroom sink faucet fixture 25 mounted on a bathroom sink basin
(not shown), to facilitate monitoring remotely the supply of water
to the faucet fixture 25.
The water supply pipe 12 is coupled in fluid communication with a
water main (not shown) located upstream from the arrangement 10 to
supply water thereto. The pipe 12 is shown in FIG. 1 rising
vertically to supply water to multiple floors of the structure 17.
Thus, the pipe 12 supplies water to different levels of a single
dwelling or commercial building structure, or the pipe 12 could
supply water to several vertically aligned dwellings such as
condominiums or apartments.
It will be understood by one skilled in the art that cold water
supply pipes and hot water supply pipes are often located in close
proximity to one another to supply cold and hot water to fixtures.
The cold and hot water supply pipes are substantially similar in
construction, thus only the cold water supply pipe 12 is shown in
FIG. 1 to simplify the illustration and description of the present
invention.
To supply water to the fixture 25, a stub out pipe 14 extends
perpendicularly from the water supply line pipe 12 through an
opening 18 in the wall 16. The stub out pipe 14 terminates in a
threaded nipple 15. An escutcheon plate 20 is disposed about the
stub out pipe 14 to enclose the opening 18.
The faucet fixture 25 includes a spout 27 coupled to a faucet
tailpiece 29 for dispensing the water. A handle 31 controls a valve
(not shown) to vary the amount of cold water supplied through the
spout 27. Similarly, another handle (not shown) controls the amount
of hot water supplied.
A shut-off valve or angle stop 50 having a threaded female end 52
and a threaded male end 54 is coupled to the stub out pipe 14 at
the nipple 15 thereof to control the amount of water drawn from the
water pipe 12. The shut-off valve 50 is a conventional device and
does not require modification to cooperate with the arrangement
10.
A flow meter 60 having a threaded female end 62, a threaded male
end 64 and a sensor portion 66 is disposed in fluid communication
with the shut-off valve 50 to monitor the flow of water to the
faucet fixture 25. A suitable flow meter is described in copending
U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 08/560,161, which application is
incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
An electrical conductor 68 coupled to a sensor (not shown) in the
sensor portion 66 conducts an electrical signal counter 72 for
accumulating information indicative of the amount of water passing
through the meter 60. The counter 72 is connected electrically to a
remote transmitter device 76 by a conductor 74 to facilitate remote
monitoring. The transmitter device 76 transmits a quantity signal
to a remotely located receiving device 90 indicative of the
quantity of water passing through the meter 60. A computer
processing unit (CPU) 94 connected electrically to the receiving
device 90 by conductor 92 processes the quantity signal for the
meter 60 to facilitate the remote monitoring of the water supplied
to the fixture 25.
A water supply tube 36 having coupling nuts 38 and 40 is disposed
between the faucet tailpiece 29 and the threaded male end 64. The
water supply tube 36 may be substantially rigid, however, the tube
36 is preferably flexible to enable the arrangement 10 to be
adapted for use with various types of fixtures.
Generally, the faucet fixture 25 is located in close proximity to
the stub out pipe 14 and the shut-off valve 50. Thus, by installing
the flow meter 60 near the shut-off valve 50, the flow meter 60 can
be installed quickly and easily to enable the water supplied by the
fixture 25 to be monitored separately from any other fixture or
outlet. Preferably, the flow meter 60 is disposed about one foot
from the shut-off valve 50.
Installing the arrangement 10 is accomplished by securing
threadably the shut-off valve 50 to the threaded nipple 15 of the
stub out pipe 14. For some installations, the shut off valve 50 may
already be coupled threadably to the stub out pipe 14, thereby
eliminating the need to install the shut-off valve 50.
The flow meter 60 is coupled threadably to the shut-off valve 50 at
the male end 54 thereof. The electrical conductor 68 is connected
electrically to the counter 72, and the counter 72 is in turn
connected electrically to the transmitter 76 as described in U.S.
Pat. application Ser. No. 08/560,161.
The receiver 90 is positioned within transmission distance of the
transmitter 76 to receive the quantity signal. The CPU 94 is
connected to the receiver 90 by the conductor 92. The CPU 94 can be
located near the receiver 90, or it may be located far from the
receiver 90, to provide flexibility in the arrangement 10. The
installation is completed by coupling the water supply tube 36
between the male end 64 of the flow meter 60 and the faucet
tailpiece 29 with the coupling nuts 40 and 38, respectively. As a
result, the stub out pipe 14 is in fluid communication with the
faucet fixture 25 via the shut-off valve 50, the flow meter 60 and
the tube 36.
It will be understood by one skilled in the art that the male and
female ends may be reversed in some applications. However, the
locations of these ends as described herein may be modified to
accommodate the particular situation without requiring undue
experimentation.
In general, the inventive metering method and apparatus relates to
the installing of a single meter within a given distance from each
one of the shut-off valves in a building structure, such as the
valve 50. The meters are then coupled electrically through a
transmission system, such as the counter 72, the transmitter 76 and
the receiver 90, for sending meter readings periodically, such as
monthly, to a remotely located unit, such as the computer processor
unit 94. In the arrangement 10 of FIG. 1, the meter is installed
downstream of the valve 50 between it and the outlet 27. The meter
66 in FIG. 1 is disposed adjacent to the valve 50. In general, as
hereinafter described in greater detail, the meter may be disposed
downstream of the meter anywhere between the valve and the
outlet.
As hereinafter described in greater detail, the meter can also be
installed upstream of the valve at a distance of up to one foot
therefrom. When installed upstream of the valve, the meter can be
installed adjacent to the valve on the upstream side thereof.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown another flow meter
arrangement 100, which is also constructed and installed in
accordance with the present invention. The flow meter arrangement
100 is substantially similar to the flow meter arrangement 10, and
includes a shut-off valve 150, a flow meter 160 and a water supply
tube 136 having coupling nuts 138 and 140. The arrangement 100
enables the supply of water to a toilet tank (not shown) to be
monitored remotely.
The shut-off valve 150 of the arrangement 100 is coupled threadably
to a nipple 115 of a stub out pipe 114. The meter 160 is coupled
threadably to the toilet tank and the tube 136 is interposed
between the shut-off valve 150 and the flow meter 160.
The installation of the flow meter arrangement 100 is accomplished
in a similar manner as the installation of the flow meter
arrangement 10, except that the relative positions of the tube 136
and the flow meter 160 are reversed. In this regard, the tube 136
is coupled directly to the shut-off valve 150 via a coupling nut
140. The flow meter 160 is coupled to the other end of the tube 136
by a coupling nut 138.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown yet another flow meter
arrangement 200 which is also constructed and installed in
accordance with the present invention. The arrangement 200 is
substantially similar to the arrangement 10 (FIG. 1) and
facilitates the coupling of a kitchen sink faucet fixture (not
shown) to the water supply pipe 212. The arrangement 200 includes a
shut-off valve 250 coupled threadably to a nipple 215 of a stub out
pipe 214. The arrangement 200 further includes a flow meter 260
disposed at an intermediate portion of a water supply tube 236, and
in fluid communication therewith. Coupling nuts 238 and 240 of the
tube 236 enable the tube 236 and flow meter 260 to be coupled
between the kitchen sink faucet fixture and the shut-off valve
250.
As shown in FIG. 3, the flow meter 260 is integrally connected to
the tube 236. However, it will be understood by one skilled in the
art that the tube 236 could comprise two separate portions, wherein
the flow meter 260 is disposed therebetween.
When installing the previously described meter arrangements 10, 100
and 200 of FIGS. 1-3, the flow of water to the respective fixture
can be terminated by the shut-off valves 50, 150 and 250,
respectively. As a result, the coupling of the flow meters 60, 160
and 260 with the tubes 36, 136 and 336 can be accomplished without
closing the main valve (not shown) for the water supply pipes, such
as pipe 12 (FIG. 1). However, other installations are also
possible, and are also contemplated, wherein the main valve is
closed to enable installation of the meter arrangements.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown a flow meter arrangement
300 which is also constructed and installed in accordance with the
present invention for monitoring the amount of water supplied to a
dishwasher (not shown), and which requires a main valve (not shown)
to be closed prior to installation. The arrangement 300 is similar
to the arrangement 10 of FIG. 1, and includes a stub out pipe 314
having a nipple 315 and a water supply tube 336 having coupling
nuts 338 and 340.
Unlike the arrangement 10 (FIG. 1), the arrangement 300 includes a
flow meter/shut-off valve combination device 370 for controlling
the water supplied and for monitoring the amount of supplied water.
The combination device 370 is disposed between the tube 336 and the
stub out pipe 314, and enables the flow of water supplied to the
dishwasher to be controlled and monitored.
The arrangement 300 is installed by initially closing the main
valve. Where an existing shut-off valve (not shown) is coupled to
the stub out pipe 314, the existing shut-off valve must be removed
prior to installing the flow meter/shut-off valve combination
device 370. Subsequently, the tube 336 is coupled between the
dishwasher and the device 370.
Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown another flow meter
arrangement 400 which is also constructed and installed in
accordance with the present invention for monitoring the supply of
water to a clothes washing machine (not shown). The arrangement 400
is substantially similar to the arrangement 10 (FIG. 1), except
that the relative positions of a shut-off valve 450 and a flow
meter 460 are reversed relative to the positions of the shut-off
valve 50 and flow meter 60 of the arrangement 10. As a result, the
flow meter 460 is coupled to a nipple 415 of a stub out pipe 414,
thereby disposing the flow meter 460 between the stub out pipe 414
and the shut-off valve 450.
Prior to coupling the flow meter 460 to the stub out pipe 414, a
main valve (not shown) must be closed to stop the flow of water out
of the stub out pipe 414. The flow meter 460 can then be coupled
threadably to the nipple 415. The shut-off valve 450 is disposed
between the flow meter 460 and a water supply tube 436 having
coupling nuts 438 and 440. The nuts 438 and 440 are secured to the
washing machine and the valve 450, respectively, to complete the
connections between the stub out pipe 414 and the dishwasher. The
main valve may then be opened to supply water to the fixture.
Referring now to FIG. 6, there is shown yet another flow meter
arrangement 500 which is also constructed and installed in
accordance with the present invention. The arrangement 500 includes
a stub out pipe 514 having a nipple 515, a shut-off valve 550 and a
water supply tube 536 having coupling nuts 538 and 540.
The arrangement 500 also includes a flow meter 560 disposed
substantially behind the wall 516 rather than in front of it for
monitoring the supply of water. Therefore, the flow meter 560 may
be installed prior to the installation of the wall 516.
Alternatively, adequate access openings may be made through the
wall 516 to enable the flow meter 560 to be disposed behind the
wall 516 after the wall 516 is installed.
Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown yet another flow meter
arrangement 600, which is also constructed and installed in
accordance with the present invention. The arrangement 600 includes
a pair of flow meters 670 and 680 disposed in fluid communication
with a water supply pipe 612 having a stub out pipe 614 extending
away therefrom. The stub out pipe 614 extends through a wall 616,
and is coupled to a water outlet (not shown) by a shut-off valve
650 and a water supply tube 636.
The meters 670 and 680 are disposed on the upstream side and
downstream side, respectively, of the intersection of the stub out
pipe 614 with the pipe 612. As shown in FIG. 7, the pipe 612
supplies water to at least two fixtures, one above the other, on at
least two different floors of a structure (not shown). Thus, the
meter 670 and 680 enables the monitoring of water supplied to all
downstream fixtures.
In this regard, meter 670 monitors the supply of water to a fixture
A (not shown) coupled to the tube 636 and also to a downstream
fixture B (not shown). Meter 680 monitors the supply of water to
fixture B only. The difference between the water supplied to both
fixtures A and B, and to fixture B only, describes the water
supplied to fixture A.
A transmitter 674 is coupled electrically to the meter 670 by
conductor 672 to transmit a signal 676 indicative of the water
supplied to fixtures A and B. A transmitter 684 is coupled
electrically to the meter 680 by conductor 682 to transmit another
signal 686 indicative of the water supplied to fixture B.
A remotely located receiver 690 receives the signals 676 and 686,
and transmits the signals 676 and 686 to a computer processing unit
(CPU) 694 via a conductor 692. The CPU 694 processes the signals to
determine the amount of water supplied to fixtures A and B
individually based on signals 676 and 686.
It will be understood by one skilled in the art that although the
foregoing arrangements 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 (FIGS.
1-7) are described in connection with a particular fixture or
outlet, such as a kitchen sink faucet fixture 25 (FIG. 1), each of
the arrangements 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 may be used in
connection with other outlets and still provide remote monitoring
capabilities as contemplated in the present invention.
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been
disclosed, it is to be understood that various different
modifications are possible and are contemplated within the true
spirit and scope of the appended claims. There is no intention,
therefore, of limitations to the exact abstract or disclosure
herein presented.
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